Griffin shows growth in restraint

Rivers said Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. were two of history’s toughest people, and he liked Blake’s non-violent response to hard fouls on a nightly basis.

Griffin isn’t a revolutionary. He’s a basketball player. But he’s managed to impress his coaches and teammates with his restraint.

“He’s stronger than I am,” teammate Chris Paul said.

Griffin’s career has been dotted with hard fouls and wrestling matches, with players such as Jason Smith, Zach Randolph and Serge Ibaka willing to tussle.

After Monday, you can add Phoenix’s P.J. Tucker to that list.

Tucker and Griffin wrestled on the ground, and Tucker swung and hit Griffin with a forearm.

Incensed, Griffin looked ready to strike back before being pulled back by his teammates.

“It’s not to say I wasn’t going to (fight back), but in the moment, I didn’t want to put my team in a bad situation. I don’t want to put myself in a bad situation,” he said. “You have to weigh the pros and cons.”

Tuesday the NBA weighed in and suspended Tucker for one game.

Griffin wasn’t one to walk away from a fight. He spent most of his life battling with his older brother, Taylor,

“When I was little and I’d play my older brother and he was whooping me and I couldn’t do anything, I used to fight,” he said. “I used to get mad. I used to grab at him. I used to swing on him. I did all that stuff.”

Now, he has other options.

Griffin has been punishing opponents all season, and scored 37 points on hyper-efficient 14-of-16 shooting Monday. And he couldn’t do that if he fought back.

“It’s crazy being his teammate and seeing every night the different fouls he takes,” Paul said. “He’s sacrificing so much for us. He could’ve easily punched back and got to fighting, and he didn’t. I don’t know how he does it. It’s pretty selfless of him.”

The Clippers and Griffin need to fight their emotions, at times, though.

“It’s just the way we are. It’s a little of who we are. We’re an emotional team,” Rivers said. “And, you want them to have passion. You just don’t want them to be too emotional.”

Rivers said it’s a “dangerous line” to walk between positive and negative emotions.

Griffin’s frustrations with officials have been the prime reason he’s been whistled for 13 technical fouls, not counting three that were later rescinded.

Still, the team is much better equipped to handle the ups and downs

“It’s tough at times, especially when our three main guys, myself, (DeAndre Jordan) and Blake, are all emotional,” Paul said. “None of us are that even-keeled. We’re all emotional.

“But I think we’ve all done a great job with it. We talk to each other so much more now. We communicate.”

When the Clippers face the Warriors on Wednesday at Staples Center, more shoves and wrestling could be on the way. But, composure is going to be a factor for the Clippers down the stretch. With teams continuing to play Griffin physically, he’ll have to continue walking away from confrontations.

“If he reacts like some people say he should, you know, then he gets thrown out, gets suspended, and it hurts the team,” Rivers said. “I know it’s very difficult for him, but he’s doing the right thing for the team.”